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In New York about five people are shot a day but that number has dropped significantly since 1994 when 4,967 people were shot in the year - or almost 14 a day.

NYPD historian Tom Reppetto said in 1990 2,245 murders were reported in New York.

Critics: The stop and frisk policy has proved controversial. In June, thousands of people took to the streets to protest against what they see as the unfair targeting of black and Latino residents, pictured

He told New York Daily News: 'There were shootings galore. We lived in a town where people were afraid to come out of their houses, where babies slept in bathtubs to avoid getting shot, where nursery schools ran drills - 'When you hear the shots, drop down.

'They're going to come in with the fewest number of murders since about 1960. It's an almost impossible figure, but their programmes have been fabulously successful in stopping crime.'

Among the police initiatives credited with tackling crime is stop and frisk, which the New York Daily News reports has led to criminals carrying knives instead of guns because it carries a lesser penalty.

However, the policy has proved controversial.

In June, thousands of protestors marched silently through the city to demonstrate against stop and frisk, which organisers say unfairly targets black and Latino residents.

New York's shooting and stabbing-free streak lasted until 11.20am on Tuesday when a 27-year-old man was shot in Brooklyn at 11.20am.

It was the first shooting in the city since Sunday shortly before 10.30pm when a man suffered gunshot wounds to the head.